Ventilative garment



Aug. 16, 1955 1 1. WEINER VENTILATIVE GARMENT JNVENTOR. LOULS I "feiner,

2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTF/VEY.

Filed June 11, 1953 l., f., n.

Aug. 16, 1955 1 l. WEINER VENTILATIVE GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 11, 1953 IN/ENTOR ser United States Patent Cce 2,715,226 Patented Aug. 16, 1955 VENTILATIVE GARMENT Louis I. Weiner, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application June 11, 1953, Serial No. 361,103

3 Claims. (Cl. 279) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to garments, and more particularly, to garments worn for warmth in cold weather. Specifically, the garments according to the invention are provided with a plurality of openings therein to provide ventilation to the wearer in the event that he becomes over-heated.

Garments of the type specified are well-known but make no provision for cooling the wearer quickly and thoroughly except by the provision of a large number of Ventilating openings which necessitate the unfastening of a large number of separable fasteners. Likewise, in such garments when the Ventilating openings are to be closed the wearer must fasten a great many separable fasteners.

With the foregoing in View, it is an object of my invention to provide improved Ventilating garments which provide for overall Ventilation with a minimum number of Ventilative openings.

A further object is to provide in such a garment ventilative openings which are located so as to be inconspicuous and also to be protected to some extent from catching on obstructions.

A further object is to provide in such a garment ventilative openings which are so located as to face forwardly of the wearer in one portion of the garment and rearwardly of the wearer in another portion of the garment but on a different level whereby to provide susbtantially complete circulation of cooling air throughout the garment interior.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, the structure of the several elements thereof, combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will be readily apparent to v those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

ln the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective View of a garment according to the invention, the Ventilating openings being closed;

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of a jacket forming a part of the garment;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a further enlarged horizontal sectional View with parts broken away and taken substantially on the plane of the line 4 4 of Figure 6;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View of a fabric material which may be utilized in the invention;

Figure 6 is a rear elevational View of the jacket of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a rear elevational View of the trouser portion of the garment;

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the trouser portion; and,

Figure 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, 10 designates generally a garment according to the invention which may comprise a jacket portion 11 and a trouser portion 12. The jacket portion 11 and trouser portion 12 may be separate or separable, as shown, or they may be integrally connected together to form a union garment in a manner readily understood. means a line extending from the armpit or crotch to the cuff of the sleeve or leg in the location Where garment inseams are normally located, that is, on the inner surface of the jacket sleeve or trouser leg and extending longitudinall'y along the center of such inner surface. The terms "side seam lines and inseam lines are used herein primarily to denote locations. Thus, the side seam lines 15, 15 of the jacket extend along opposite sides of the jacket centrally and longitudinally thereof. That actual seams are located on such lines, as indicated in Figure 4, is not material. ln like manner, the inseam lines 16, 1,6 of the sleeves run longitudinally of the sleeves centrally of the undersurfaces thereof. Likewise, the inseam lines 22, 22 of the trouser` legs extend longitudinally and CCU.- trally of the inner surfaces thereof.

Referring now to the jacket portion illustrated in Figures 2 and 6, the same comprises a body portion 13. and sleeves 14. The body portion 13 is provided with side seam lines 15 centrally of the opposite sides thereof. Such side seam lines 15 merge with inseam lines 16 on the undersides of the sleeves 14 centrally thereof. As best seen in Figure 6, the sleeves 14 and the body portion 13 are provided with Ventilating openings 17 and 18, respectively, which may be closed by any suitable separable fastener means such as the slide fasteners 19. lt should be noted that the Ventilating openings 17 and 18 are disposed in offset and substantially parallel relation to the side seam and inseam lines 15 and 16, respectively. Also, it should be noted that the Ventilating openings 17 and 18 extend substantially the entire length of suchrside seam and inseam lines. In the embodiment illustrated, the Ventilating openings 17 and 18 open to the rear of the jacket portion 13. Obviously, if desired, they could be disposed to open forwardly of the jacket.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, the trouser portion 12 comprises a body portion 20 and legs 21. The legs 21 are provided with inseam lines 22 centrally of the inner sides thereof and are likewise provided with Ventilating openings 23 which are disposed in offset and substantially parallel relation to the inseam lines 22. The Ventilating openings 23 may be closed by any suitable separable fastener means such as the slide fastener 24. Likewise, it should be noted that the Ventilating openings 23 of the trouser portion 21 face in the opposite direction from the Ventilating openings 17 and 18 of the jacket. Thus,I in the embodiment illustrated, the Ventilating openings 23 face forwardly while the openings of the jacket face rearwardly. With this arrangement, as the wearer walks forward with all of the Ventilating openings open, the Ventilating openings 23 of the trouser legs 21 act as scoops to scoop in cool air which is forced upwardly through the trouser portions and into the jacket portion whereby to escape rearwardly of the latter. Thus, the Ventilating air must not only rise from the bottom to the top of the garment 10 but also must traverse the wearers body from the legs to arms and from front to rear whereby to effectively cool the wearer.

A garment according to the invention may be made of a moisture and vapor impervious material best illustrated in Figure 5. Such material may comprise a knitted or woven fabric 30 formed from spun nylon and coated or impregnated on one surface with an impervious plastic ma- As used herein, the term inseam linel l 18 and 23 with a pervious material as best seen in Figure 4.

Such material may comprise a strip 32 of untreated spun nylon which provides a panel underlying each Ventilating opening of the garment. Thus with all Ventilating openings open the wearer is protected against trash or rubbish entering the garment through the Ventilating openings. At the same time, as the backing material 32 is pervious, air may enter and leave the garment as aforesaid. As best seen in Figure 4, the backing strips 32 of pervious material lie flatly against the inner surface of the garment material when the Ventilating openings are closed. This arrangement restricts gapping of the openings when the latter are open, as shown in broken lines, Fig. 4. Thus, although the Ventilating openings 17, 18, and 24 are never open very wide, their relatively great length permits the entry and exodus of substantial amounts of air but spreads such air over a substantially large area of the wearer. Likewise, in the arrangement shown, the size of the openings may be varied by operating the slide fasteners only partially in accordance with the wearers desires, or the temperature of the outside air.

In like manner, the front opening 33 of the jacket may be backed by a flap 34 of pervious or impervious material. The front opening 33 of the jacket may be closed by any lsuitable fastener such as the slide fastener 35. Such fastener 35 may be partially or substantially wholly opened to provide an additional Ventilating opening, if desired. In like manner, Figure 9, the y opening 36 of the trousers may be closed by a slide fastener or the like 37 which is preferably backed by a iiap 38 of pervious or impervious material.

In the embodiment illustrated, the cuffs of the sleeves 14 and legs 21 may be provided with knitted cuffs, 39, as shown, to insure tight tits around the ankles and wrists of the wearer. Likewise, the neck may be provided with a knitted collar 40 and the waist of the jacket may be provided with a knitted cu 41. However, in connection with the cuff 41 of the jacket, it should be understood that the same has a relatively loose t to permit air to circulate from the trousersV 20 into the jacket 13. Likewise, the

trousers are preferably provided with any suitable means u:

such as the loops 42 for the attachment of the Suspenders, not shown, for supporting the trousers from the shoulders of the wearer. This eliminates the need for a belt which would prevent circulation of air from the trousers to the jacket. Of course, in the event that the trousers and jacket are integrally joined together to form a one-piece, union garment structure, such cuff 41 on the jacket and suspender loops 42 on the trousers may be eliminated.

Where the jacket is worn alone, it is obvious that byy unfastening the front opening 33 and the side openings 17 and 18, air will be scooped into the front of the garment and discharged rearwardly thereof whereby to cool the upper body of the wearer. In like manner, if the trousers 12 are worn separately and if the openings 23 and 34 are open, air will be forced into the front of the trousers in the legs portion and discharged through the top or through the ily opening 34 or through or around the body in the waistband region.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the garment functions as a union garment when both the jacket and :A

trousers are worn together or if they are integrally secured together. It is seen also that the arrangement of the Ventilating openings are such that, when the same are open, air is pumped into the garment from the front ofr the trouser part and expelled from the garment through the rear of the jacket part thereof. Likewise, it should be observed that this result is accomplished with a minimum number of openings which are so located as to be readily fastened and unfastened by the wearer with a minimum of delay. Where the jacket and trousers are separable, either may be worn alone. In such instances, at least with respect to the trousersJ the Ventilating action is similar to that just described in that air is scooped in from the front and escapes at the waist. When the jacket is worn alone there 5 is, of course, no pumping of air through the garment. However, heated air will escape rearwardly of the garment when the Ventilating slits are open. Through-flow of air can be obtained, of course, by opening the front fastener 35 for the front opening 33. l Other arrangements of the jacket openings 17 and 18 will suggest themselves. For instance, it may be desirable to locate the sleeve Ventilation openings 17 forwardly of the sleeve inseam lines 16 so that air pumped in by swinging the arms is forced downwardly and rearwardly of the l upper part of the body. Alternatively, the body ventilating openings 18 could be located forwardly of the side seam lines so that mere forward motion would force air rearwardly and upwardly through the jacket portion 11 of the garment. Likewise, particularly in a union garment, either the sleeve openings 17 or the body openings v 18 may be omitted.

Consequently, while I have shown described what is now thought to be the preferred embodimentsof the'invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of .25 other forms and expressions. Therefore, I do not'limit myself to the precise structures shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A ventilative union garment including a body portion, sleeves and legs, said body portion including side seam lines centrally of opposite sides thereof, said sleeves including sleeve inseam lines comprising extensions of said side beam lines, said legs having leg inseam lines centrally of the insides thereof, ventilative slits formed in said body portion, sleeves and legs in adjacent, offset,

parallel relation to said side seam and inseamV lines, separable fasteners normally securing said slits closed, said slits of said body portion and sleeves being disposed rearwardly of said side seam and sleeve inseam lines, and

said slits of said legs being disposed forwardly of said leg inseam lines.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein all of said slits are substantially coextensive in length with their respective seam or inseam lines.

3. A ventilative jacket, comprising a body portion and sleeves, said body portion being formed with a front opening, said body portion having side seam lines centrally of opposite sides thereof, said sleeves having inseam lines comprising extensions of said side seam lines, a pair of spaced and aligned ventilative slits formed in each side of said jacket, one slit of each pair being formed in said body portion in adjacent rearwardly odset relation to a side' seam line, the other slit of each pair being formed in a sleeve in adjacent rearwardly offset relation to its in- 3 seam line, means normally securing all of said slits closed, and said jacket having impervious arm pit portions spacing apart the slits of each pair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,252,187 Shane Jan. 1,1918

1,381,373 Waterman June 14, 1921 2,006,373 Thompson July 2, 1935 2,020,155 Molter Nov. 5, 1935 2,073,711 Robinsehn Mar. 16, i937 2,353,984 Barone July 18, 1944 2,379,498 Shaw July 3, 1945 2,391,535 Zelano Dec. 25, 1945 Q 2,409,367 Leguillon et al Oct. l5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 517,523 Germany Feb. 5, 1931 130,577 Austria Nov. 25, 1932 

